Huawei Joins M2M Initiative

Huawei has joined the GSM Association’s Embedded Mobile initiative, which aims to enable machine-to-machine 3G wireless capability for consumer electronics, energy, healthcare, transport and utility devices and applications.

 

The interest is not hard to discern: once service providers have sold wireless communications to virtually every human being, where does a service provider turn for growth? Selling more features and services to those customers, or convincing customers to use more than one mobile device are partial answers.

 

But most observers believe an equally important role will be played by machine-to-machine applications, including various types of telemetry.

 

The Embedded Mobile initiative is being led by KTF, Rogers Wireless, Smart, Softbank, Telecom Italia (News - Alert), Telefonica, Telstra and Vodafone.

 

"Our ultimate goal is that every machine, device, object will have broadband mobile connectivity," says Rob Conway, CEO and member of the board of the GSMA (News - Alert). "There are many possible applications: connected cameras could automatically upload photos to Web sites, cars could regularly send detailed performance information to mechanics, while sensors could transmit emissions data direct to computer systems monitoring the environment.”

 

One of the first priorities will be to develop a common application programming interface that consumer goods manufacturers will be able to use to make their products compatible with many different 3G mobile networks.

 

"Mobile penetration can and should eventually rise to several hundred per cent as everything from cars to cameras to health monitors to industrial sensors become connected to mobile networks, enabling them to automatically send images, information and other data to their owners," says Mike Short, Telefonica Europe VP.